Collapsible brush

Abstract

A collapsible brush includes an open topped housing provided with a removable lid and a plurality of longitudinally spaced transverse bars which are located in the housing and have flat top faces, angularly related front and rear faces gear sector under faces. Stub shafts project from the upper end faces of the bars and are journalled in aligned recesses in the housing side walls and have flat top faces coplanar with the bar top faces. Bristle tufts are anchored in the bar top faces. A longitudinally slidable rack is sandwiched between the housing base and the gear sectors and is connected to a longitudinally movable brush handle either directly or by a lost motion coupling so that extension of the handle extends the bristles and retraction of the handles swings the bristles into collapsed overlapping positions.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A collapsible brush comprising a body member including a pair of upwardly directed transversely spaced longitudinally extending parallel walls having a plurality of longitudinally spaced pairs of transversely aligned recesses formed in the confronting faces thereof, a plurality of longitudinally spaced transversely extending bars of non-circular transverse cross section having shafts at opposite ends thereof journalled in corresponding pairs of said recesses, each of said bars having a gear sector defining toothed arcuate underface, brush bristles secured to and projecting upwardly from each of said bars, a longitudinally slidable longitudinally extending rack underlying and engaging said gear sectors, a longitudinally extending handle member longitudinally movable along a path between said parallel walls between a retracted and an extended position, means including a lost motion coupling between said rack and said handle for oppositely moving said rack with the movement of said handle proximate its extended and retracted positions to rock said bars and swing said bristles between upwardly directed extended positions and overlapping collapsed positions respectively, means to maintain said bristles in locked upwardly direct position, said lost motion coupling including abutment means located at opposite ends of said rack, and said handle member having a head section moveable along said rack and alternatively engaging said abutments with the longitudinal movement of said handle member toward extended and retracted positions. 
     
     
       2. The brush of claim 1 wherein said body member includes a base section extending between said side walls, said rack being embraced between said gear sector and the confronting face of said base section and being slidable along said face. 
     
     
       3. The brush of claim 2 wherein the top faces of said bars are relatively flat and said shafts are located proximate said top faces. 
     
     
       4. The brush of claim 3 wherein each of said gear sectors extend for less than 90°. 
     
     
       5. The brush of claim 4 wherein said bars have flat distal faces substantially perpendicular to the top faces thereof and flat proximal faces forming obtuse angles with said top faces. 
     
     
       6. The brush of claim 2 wherein said bristles, when in their collapsed condition, are below the level of the top edges of said side walls and including a cover member separably closing the space delineated by said top edges. 
     
     
       7. The brush of claim 1 including a laterally spaced pair of said racks, each of said racks including abutments located at opposite ends, said handle members terminating at its inner end in a head section slidably between and along said racks and alternatively engaging said abutments with the longitudinal movement of said handle toward extended and retracted positions, said abutments and said head defining said lost motion coupling.